Sam Hartman shook off a slow start and proceeded to throw four touchdown passes as Notre Dame coasted to a 45-7 victory over Wake Forest on Senior Day. Audric Estime ran for 115 yards and a score while backup quarterback Steve Angeli joined the party with a scoring strike to Jordan Faison. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish defense suffocated the Deacons’ slow mesh offense with a dominant performance. The win lifts the hosts to 8-3 on the season with a road game at Stanford next week.

Five players caught touchdown passes including Faison. The others were Devyn Ford, Eli Raridon, Tobias Merriweather and Jaden Greathouse. Another wideout, Rico Flores, led the team with eight receptions for 102 yards. Hartman finished with 277 yards on 21 completions in 29 attempts. Angeli hit all three of his passes for 36 yards. Notre Dame outgained Wake Forest by 450-232.

The contest started slowly with three punts and a badly missed field goal by Irish kicker Spencer Shrader. Estime and Hartman finally got going late in the first quarter with a 71-yard march to paydirt. Hartman hit a wide open Ford on a 12-yard wheel route for a 7-0 lead.

Wake answered with its best (and only) drive of the game. A trick play by the Deacons and poor tackling by Notre Dame combined to enable the visitors to tie the score a few minutes later. The Irish quickly restored order. Hartman and his mates overcame an overturned 29-yard reception and a holding penalty on their way to another score. The veteran connected with Merriweather on a post route from 35 yards for a 14-7 lead.

Moments later, Notre Dame blocked a short field goal try by Wake’s Matthew Dennis with 1:26 remaining in the half. Hartman moved the team into scoring territory with a well-executed two minute drill until the Irish imploded. Play calling issues, misuse of timeouts, and poor clock management by the coaching staff cost the hosts a chance at another touchdown. Shrader did convert a field goal from 37 yards for a 17-7 halftime advantage.

The Irish defense quickly took control in the third quarter. JD Bertrand forced a fumble on the first series and Riley Mills pounced on the ball at the Deacon 19. Hartman immediately found Raridon in the end zone with a perfect strike for a 24-7 lead. Wake tried to answer on its next possession but Notre Dame stuffed a pair of runs on third and fourth down near midfield to wrestle the ball back for the offense.

It took only four plays for Notre Dame to score. Estime ran untouched into the end zone from two yards to extend the lead to 31-7. There were 20 minutes left in the game but everyone knew it was over. Hartman added a final encore on the next Irish possession with a 48-yard strike to Greathouse, who showed that his previously injured hamstring was no longer an issue.

Wake’s offense continued to stumble even as Notre Dame cleared the bench. Angeli looked sharp and the Irish rode Estime into the red zone before Faison hauled in a perfectly thrown 18-yard pass for the final points of the afternoon.

Notre Dame appeared to avoid any new injuries in this contest, which is a welcome relief.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Will either team be able to run the ball effectively? Both teams ran for approximately 135 yards but the Irish had 4.6 yards per carry to 3.7 for the Deacons.
• Can the remaining Irish receivers get open against the Deacon secondary? People were open all day as the play concepts seemed much better.
• Which team will have a higher conversion rate on third down? Notre Dame was five for ten on third down and also hit a 20-yard pass to convert a fourth down. Wake was five of 13 on third down and failed on a pair of fourth down tries.
• Can Notre Dame’s defense continue to force turnovers? Just one fumble recovery that led to a score but two stops on fourth down added to the total.
• Which offensive line will best protect the quarterback? The Irish were solid. They allowed no sacks while the defense got to Wake’s Michael Kern three times and pressured him relentlessly. Kern finished 11 for 20 for only 81 yards.
• Will either special teams unit provide a field position advantage? Notre Dame played well in this phase after Bryce McFerson shanked his first punt of the day. They blocked a field goal attempt and recovered a well-conceived onside kick that caught the Deacons flat-footed.
• Can Hartman regain his poise against his old team and not force his throws? After misfiring twice in the opening series, Hartman was sharp. It helped that he had wide open targets and good protection but his accuracy continued to improve as the game progressed.
• Will Xavier Watts provide another power surge? Watts was relatively quiet, although I held my breath when he picked up the blocked field goal. It looked like he had a chance to break out of the scrum and take off before he was surrounded.

Notre Dame hopes to end the regular season on a high note next week on the West Coast. Hartman will start but the goal should be to get as many young players into the game as possible. The Irish want to rise to 9-3 for morale and recruiting purposes, not to mention a more attractive bowl opportunity. Despite all that, the staff knows the remaining practices and games are now about next season as much as this one. Those missed opportunities against Ohio State, Louisville and Clemson loom large right now.